Ice maker for refrigerator and method for making same

ABSTRACT

An ice maker includes a compressor, installed in the inside of a refrigerator door, for compressing a refrigerant; a condenser for condensing the compressed refrigerant from the compressor; an expansion valve for expanding the condensed refrigerant; and an ice making tray, having a channel through which the refrigerant from the expansion valve flows, allowing heat-exchange between the refrigerant introduced through the channel and water in the ice making tray to perform a process of making ice through the heat-exchange.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2015-0085771, filed on Jun. 17, 2015, and hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments according to the present invention relate to an ice maker for a refrigerator and a method for making ice, by arranging an independent refrigeration system in the inside of a door of a refrigerator compartment so that an ice making chamber can be cooled independent of the refrigerator body, and by utilizing an ice making tray located in the ice making chamber as an evaporator for the independent refrigeration system, thereby increasing the transfer efficiency of cold air and reducing the volume of the independent refrigeration system.

BACKGROUND

In general, a refrigerator is an appliance with a storage space for storing food at a lower temperature, consisting of a refrigerator compartment maintaining a temperature a few degrees above the freezing point of water and a freezer compartment maintaining a temperature below the freezing point of water. Recent higher demand for ice contributes to increasing demand for a refrigerator equipped with an ice maker that automatically makes ice.

The aforementioned ice maker may be typically installed in a door of a refrigerator. The ice maker may also be installed in a freezer compartment depending on the type of refrigerator, or may be installed in a refrigerator compartment if necessary.

FIG. 1 illustrates a french-type refrigerator in which an ice maker 100 is installed on a freezer door 2 in the inside of a freezer compartment 1. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the ice maker 100 is provided with an ice storage unit 102 for storing ice produced, and the ice stored in the ice storage unit 102 may be dispensed to the outside through an ice dispenser unit in accordance with an external ice dispensing signal. In this case, if more ice than a given amount of ice is dispensed to the outside, information is provided as feedback to enable the ice maker 100 to make ice again, and the ice may be introduced into the ice storage unit 102 again.

In general, the ice maker performs a process of making ice by using cold air generated from a refrigerating system in a refrigerator body to make ice as described. That is, the cold air produced from the refrigerator body flows into the freezer compartment, the refrigerator compartment and/or the ice maker, and the ice maker makes water in an ice making tray into ice using the introduced cold air.

However, the ice making speed of the aforementioned refrigerator may be slow since the process of making ice is carried out with the help of the cold air supplied from the refrigerating system in the refrigerator body. Accordingly, it is necessary for the refrigerator to have a separate cold-air duct for supplying the cold air to the freezer compartment where the ice maker is disposed. In addition, when a problem occurs with the insulation of the duct, the process of making ice cannot be properly carried out, which results in power losses.

SUMMARY

In view of the foregoing, one or more embodiments of the present invention provides an ice maker for a refrigerator and method for making ice, using an independent refrigeration system in the inside of a door of a refrigerator compartment so that an ice making chamber can be cooled independent of the refrigerator body, and utilizing an ice making tray located in the ice making chamber as an evaporator for the independent refrigeration system, thereby increasing the transfer efficiency of cold air and reducing the volume of the independent refrigeration system.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, an ice maker for a refrigerator includes: a compressor, installed in the inside of a refrigerator door, for compressing a refrigerant; a condenser, installed in the inside of the refrigerator door, for condensing the compressed refrigerant from the compressor; an expansion valve, installed in the inside of the refrigerator door, for expanding the condensed refrigerant; and an ice making tray, having a channel through which the refrigerant from the expansion valve flows, for allowing heat-exchange between the refrigerant introduced through the channel and water in the ice making tray to perform a process of making ice through the heat-exchange.

In an embodiment, the ice making tray may include the channel configured in a way that a separate refrigerant pipe through which the refrigerant flows is mounted on a lower portion of the ice making tray.

In an embodiment, the ice making tray may include the channel through which the refrigerant can flow, integrally formed with the ice making tray.

Further, the ice making tray may include an inlet and an outlet for the channel that are formed respectively at one side and the other side of the lower area at one end of the ice making tray, where the expansion valve is coupled to the inlet and the compressor is coupled to the outlet.

In an embodiment, the compressor may include a small sized compressor installable in the inside of the refrigerator door.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a method for making ice includes: compressing a refrigerant in a compressor which is installed in the inside of a refrigerator door; condensing the compressed refrigerant in a condenser which is installed in the inside of the refrigerator door; expanding the condensed refrigerant in an expansion valve which is installed in the inside of the refrigerator door; causing the refrigerant from the expansion valve to flow in a channel disposed in an ice making tray installed in the inside of a refrigerator door; and allowing an ice making process to be carried out by freezing water in the ice making tray through heat-exchange with the refrigerant in the channel.

In an embodiment, the ice making tray may include the channel configured in a way that a separate refrigerant pipe through which the refrigerant flows is mounted on a lower portion of the ice making tray.

In an embodiment, the ice making tray may include the channel through which the refrigerant can flow, integrally formed with the ice making tray.

In an embodiment, the ice making tray may include an inlet and an outlet for the channel that are formed respectively at one side and the other side of the lower area at one end of the ice making tray, where the expansion valve is coupled to the inlet and the compressor is coupled to the outlet.

According to the present invention, the ice maker for a refrigerator advantageously increases the transfer efficiency of cold air and thus achieves rapid ice making speed, using an independent refrigeration system in the inside of a door of a refrigerator compartment so that an ice making chamber installed in the door of the refrigerator can be independently cooled and using the ice making tray located in the ice making chamber as an evaporator for the independent refrigeration system. In addition, the ice maker for a refrigerator advantageously reduces the volume of the independent refrigeration system because a separate evaporator is not required in the independent refrigeration system for use in the ice maker because the ice making tray is utilized as an evaporator.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows an diagram of an example in which an ice maker is installed in a freezer compartment of a refrigerator in accordance with a prior art;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an ice maker for a refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 3A and 3B show ice making trays available as an evaporator in accordance with embodiments of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a process of making ice performed by an ice maker for a refrigerator in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an ice maker for a refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, an ice making chamber 204 may be configured to be supplied with cold air from an independent refrigeration system 230 without cold air from the inside of a refrigerator body 200. The ice making chamber 204 is installed in the inside of a refrigerator door 202 and makes ice from water and stores the ice.

The ice making chamber 204 may include an ice maker 206, an ice making tray 208, and an ice storage unit 210. The ice making tray 208 may be supplied with water, and the ice maker 206 supplies cold air provided from the independent refrigeration system 230 to the ice making tray 208 so that the water can be made into ice. The ice produced in the ice making tray 208 by a process of making ice may be separated from the ice making tray 208 using an ice separating device (not shown), and the ice storage unit 210 stores the ice separated and dropped from the ice making tray 208. As described above, the ice stored by the ice storage unit 210 may be dispensed to the outside through a dispenser (not shown).

The process of making ice may be implemented as is known in the related art; therefore, a detailed description of the process will be omitted.

The ice making chamber 204, for example, may be installed in the refrigerator door 202. Further, the independent refrigeration system 230, which generates and supplies cold air for the purpose of ice-making only in the ice making chamber 204, may be installed in the refrigerator door 202 along with the ice making chamber 204, independently from a main refrigerating system 250 which produces cold air for the inside of the refrigerator body 200.

The second, independent refrigeration system 230 may perform a heat-exchange within the ice making chamber 204 independently from the main refrigerating system 250 which supplies cold air to the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment.

Further, as with the main refrigerating system 250, the independent refrigeration system 230 may include a compressor 232, a condenser 234, an expansion valve 236, and an evaporator. In accordance with the present invention, the ice making tray 208 coupled to the ice maker 206 is adapted to be utilized as the evaporator. In addition, the respective components of the independent refrigeration system 230 (the compressor 232, condenser 234, and expansion valve 236) may be adapted to be manufactured in relatively small sizes so that they can be accommodated in the refrigerator door 202.

Hereinafter, each component of the independent refrigeration system 230 will be described in detail.

The compressor 232 of the independent refrigeration system 230 may compress a refrigerant, which is supplied to the ice making chamber 204 and for heat-exchange with the ice making tray 208.

The condenser 234 may be coupled to the compressor 232, and condense the compressed refrigerant that is at a high temperature and high pressure and then change it to a liquid phase at an intermediate temperature and intermediate pressure.

The expansion valve 236 may expand the condensed refrigerant provided from the condenser 234 to a low temperature and low pressure.

The evaporator may be used to exchange heat from the expanded refrigerator provided from the expansion valve 236 to ambient air. In an embodiment, the ice making tray 208 is adapted to undertake a role of the evaporator. Accordingly, the heat-exchange with the air in the ice making chamber 204 may be carried out with the ice making tray 208.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show ice makers useful as an evaporator in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Using the ice making tray as an evaporator will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B in detail.

FIG. 3A shows the ice making tray 208 having a refrigerant pipe 212 that is mounted on a bottom surface of the ice making tray 208. As mentioned above, the ice making tray 208 may be coupled to the ice maker 206 and the independent refrigeration system 230 for ice making. The ice making tray 208 has compartment ribs 214 in which water for ice making is loaded, and the refrigerant pipe 212 is mounted below the lower portion of the compartment ribs 214 so that the refrigerant can flow therethrough.

The refrigerant pipe 212 may be coupled to the expansion valve 236 of the independent refrigeration system 230 installed in the refrigerator door 202, separately from the main refrigerating system 250 of the refrigerator body 200, so that the refrigerant at low temperature and low pressure from the expansion valve 236 can be heat exchanged with air in the ice making chamber 204 through the refrigerant pipe 212.

Accordingly, the temperature in the ice making chamber 204 is lowered through the heat-exchange with the refrigerant, thereby making the water loaded in the ice making tray 208 into ice. The refrigerant from the heat-exchange and evaporation in the ice making tray 208 flows back to the compressor 232 again and is then compressed to a high temperature and high pressure.

As described above, according to an embodiment of the present invention, since the ice making tray 208 is adapted to be utilized as an evaporator instead of installing and relying on a separate evaporator, it is possible to increase the transfer efficiency of cold air to the water loaded in the ice making tray 208. In addition, a separate evaporator is not required in the independent refrigeration system 230 for use in the ice making chamber 204, thereby reducing the volume of the independent refrigeration system 230.

FIG. 3B shows an ice making tray with a refrigerant channel that is formed integrally. As mentioned above, the ice making tray 208 may be coupled to the ice maker 206 and the independent refrigeration system 230 for ice making. The ice making tray 208 has compartment ribs 214 in which water for ice making is loaded, and also has a refrigerant channel 304 that is injection molded with the compartment ribs 214 in a lower area below the compartment ribs 214 to make it integral with the ice making tray.

Accordingly, when the refrigerant flows through the refrigerant channel 304 formed integrally within the ice making tray 208, the cold air derived from the refrigerant is directly transferred to the respective compartment ribs 214 formed in the ice making tray 208, thereby increasing the transfer efficiency of cold air to the water loaded in the ice making tray 208.

Moreover, the refrigerant channel 304 may be coupled to the expansion valve 236 of the independent refrigeration system 230 installed in the refrigerator door 202, separately from the main refrigerating system 250 of the refrigerator body 200, so that the low temperature and pressure refrigerant provided from the expansion valve 236 can be heat exchanged with the air in the ice making chamber 204 while passing through the refrigerant channel 304. In addition, the ice making tray 208 may have an inlet 306 and an outlet 308 of the refrigerant channel 304 respectively formed, on one side surface (end) of the ice making tray 208, at one side and at the other side below the compartment ribs 214. Thus, when the ice making tray 208 is coupled to the expansion valve 236 to serve as the evaporator, the inlet 306 and the outlet 308 of the refrigerant channel 304 may be connected with the expansion valve 236, the compressor 232, and the like, but the invention is not limited thereto.

The temperature in the ice making chamber 204 is lowered through heat-exchange with the refrigerant, thereby freezing the water loaded in the ice making tray 208 into ice. Subsequently, the refrigerant that is subjected to the heat-exchange and evaporation in the ice making tray 208 flows into the compressor 232 again and is then compressed to a high temperature and high pressure.

As mentioned above with reference to FIG. 3B, according to an embodiment of the present invention, since the ice making tray 208 with which the refrigerant channel 304 is integrally injection-molded is utilized as an evaporator instead of relying on a separate evaporator, it is possible to increase the transfer efficiency of cold air to the water in the ice making tray 208. In addition, a separate evaporator is not required in the independent refrigeration system 230 for use in the ice making chamber 204, thereby reducing the volume of the independent refrigeration system 230.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a process for making ice in an ice maker for use in a refrigerator in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Hereinafter, the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4.

First, when a refrigerant flows into the compressor 232, which is installed inside the refrigerator door, the refrigerant in the compressor 232 is compressed, for example, to a high temperature and high pressure by the compressor 232 (S400) and then provided to the condenser 234. The refrigerant provided to the condenser 234 is then condensed, for example, to an intermediate temperature and pressure (S402).

Next, the refrigerant condensed by the condenser 234 is provided to the expansion valve 236, at which the refrigerant is expanded, for example, to a low temperature and pressure (S404). The refrigerant is then supplied to the ice making tray 208 in the ice making chamber 204 installed inside the refrigerator door (S406).

Thereafter, heat-exchange with the refrigerant occurs in the ice making tray 208 while the refrigerant is supplied via either the refrigerant channel 304, which is integrally formed with the ice making tray 208 in the ice making chamber 204, or the refrigerant pipe 212, which is mounted on the lower portion of the ice making tray 208 (S408), depending on the embodiment being implemented.

Consequently, the water loaded in the compartment ribs 214 of the ice making tray 208 is frozen by the cold air generated from the heat-exchange (S410).

Alternatively or additionally, instead of using a separate evaporator in the independent refrigeration system, the present invention may implement a configuration where the refrigerant channel mounted on the ice making tray (as in FIG. 3A) is coupled between the expansion valve and the condenser to serve as an evaporator, or a configuration where the ice making tray 208 having the refrigerant channel integrally formed therewith (as in FIG. 3B) is coupled between the expansion valve and the condenser to serve as an evaporator. With the help of these configurations, it is possible to increase the transfer efficiency of cold air to the water in the ice making tray 208. In addition, a separate evaporator is not required in the independent refrigeration system 230 for use in the ice making chamber 204, thereby reducing the volume of the independent refrigeration system 230.

As set forth above, therefore, the disclosed ice maker for a refrigerator is able to increase the transfer efficiency of cold air and thus is able to increase ice making speed (reduce ice making time) using an independent refrigeration system that is inside of a door of a refrigerator compartment so that an ice making chamber installed in the door of the refrigerator can be cooled independent of the refrigerator body and so that the ice making tray located in the ice making chamber is utilized as an evaporator for the independent refrigeration system. In addition, it is possible to reduce the volume of the independent refrigeration system because a separate evaporator is not required in the independent refrigeration system for use in the ice maker due to the ice making tray that can be utilized as an evaporator.

While the description of the present invention has been made to the example embodiments, various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Embodiments according to the present invention are not limited to the described embodiments. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be defined by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing embodiments. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An ice maker for a refrigerator, the ice maker comprising: a compressor, installed in the inside of a refrigerator door, operable for compressing a refrigerant; a condenser, installed in the inside of the refrigerator door, operable for condensing the compressed refrigerant from the compressor; an expansion valve, installed in the inside of the refrigerator door, operable for expanding the condensed refrigerant; and an ice making tray, comprising a channel through which the expanded refrigerant from the expansion valve flows, and operable for allowing heat-exchange between the expanded refrigerant introduced through the channel and water in the ice making tray to perform a process of making ice from the water through the heat-exchange.
 2. The ice maker for a refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the channel comprises: a separate refrigerant pipe through which the refrigerant flows and that is mounted on a lower portion of the ice making tray.
 3. The ice maker for a refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the channel is integrally formed with the ice making tray.
 4. The ice maker for a refrigerator of claim 3, wherein the ice making tray comprises: an inlet and an outlet for the channel that are formed respectively at one side and the other side of the lower area at one end of the ice making tray, and wherein the expansion valve is coupled to the inlet and the compressor is coupled to the outlet.
 5. The ice maker for a refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the compressor comprises: a small-sized compressor installable in the inside of the refrigerator door.
 6. A method for making ice, the method comprising: compressing a refrigerant in a compressor which is installed in the inside of a refrigerator door; condensing the compressed refrigerant in a condenser which is installed in the inside of the refrigerator door; expanding the condensed refrigerant in an expansion valve which is installed in the inside of the refrigerator door; flowing the refrigerant from the expansion valve in a channel disposed in an ice making tray installed in the inside of the refrigerator door; and freezing water in the ice making tray through heat-exchange with the refrigerant in the channel.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the channel comprises: a separate refrigerant pipe through which the refrigerant flows and that is mounted on a lower portion of the ice making tray.
 8. The method of claim 6, wherein the channel is integrally formed with the ice making tray.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the ice making tray comprises: an inlet and an outlet for the channel that are formed respectively at one side and the other side of the lower area at one end of the ice making tray, and wherein the expansion valve is coupled to the inlet and the compressor is coupled to the outlet.
 10. A refrigerator comprising: a refrigerator body; a main refrigeration system coupled to the refrigerator body and comprising a first compressor, a first condenser, a first expansion valve, and an evaporator; and a second refrigeration system coupled to the refrigerator body and comprising: a second compressor, installed in the inside of a refrigerator door, operable for compressing a refrigerant; a second condenser, installed in the refrigerator door, operable for condensing the compressed refrigerant from the second compressor; a second expansion valve, installed in the refrigerator door, operable for expanding the condensed refrigerant; and an ice making tray, comprising a channel through which the expanded refrigerant from the second expansion valve flows, and operable for allowing heat-exchange between the expanded refrigerant introduced through the channel and water in the ice making tray to perform a process of making ice from the water through the heat-exchange.
 11. The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein the channel comprises: a separate refrigerant pipe through which the refrigerant flows and that is mounted on a lower portion of the ice making tray.
 12. The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein the channel is integrally formed with the ice making tray.
 13. The refrigerator of claim 12, wherein the ice making tray comprises: an inlet and an outlet for the channel that are formed respectively at one side and the other side of the lower area at one end of the ice making tray, and wherein the second expansion valve is coupled to the inlet and the second compressor is coupled to the outlet.
 14. The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein the second compressor comprises: a small-sized compressor installable in the inside of the refrigerator door. 